Barbara Mikulski

Ms. MIKULSKI

Ms. MIKULSKI. I yield the time to Senator Brownback to speak.

Ms. MIKULSKI. How much time do I have remaining?

Ms. MIKULSKI. Did the Senator from California speak on my time as well?

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, a parliamentary inquiry before the Senator from Kansas speaks. Under the unanimous consent agreement, whose time is now being used?

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the pending amendment be set aside and I call up amendment No. 140.

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, will the Senator yield for a question?

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, the time has now come to vote on the Mikulski amendment that gives a tax break to people who go buy a car on which they can take a tax deduction on their interest and on their sales tax. It actually creates jobs by having people buy a car, sell a car, service a car, and make a car. Three million jobs are at stake in the automobile industry, and I urge the adoption of my amendment.

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I move to waive the applicable sections of the Budget Act, and I ask for the yeas and nays.

Ms. MIKULSKI. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the pending amendment be set aside, and I call up amendment No. 104.

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Ms. MIKULSKI. Will the Senator agree that we are often chastised for ``Buy American'' amendments, but essentially what exists now is a ``Tax American'' situation, and the amendment of the Senator from North Dakota would remedy that situation.

Ms. MIKULSKI. My question is about the steel industry. As the Senator knows, I, along with him, tried to stand up for American steel. So the Senator means to say if a steelmaker moves production overseas at a very minimal rate, and then ships steel back, they are going to have a lower tax rate than the steel company that struggled, downsized, rightsized to try to stay in this country and manufacture steel?

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, to give a sense of process, I have an amendment that I think will contribute to both creating jobs and saving jobs in the American automobile industry. Before I explain my amendment, I wish to note that my remarks will take about 5 minutes. I ultimately will want to vote on this amendment later on today, when the leadership on both sides of the aisle agrees to a time in sequencing they choose. I know there will be opponents to my amendment, and I will return to debate at that time. But in the interest of comity, I will lay down my amendment, speak for 5 minutes to explain it, and then we can return to the discussion on the Coburn amendment. Mr. President, I think we all agree that our economy is in shambles and that Congress needs to act and act very quickly. My amendment does what the President said he wanted to do, and what the other side of the aisle says it wants to do, or the other side of my amendment says they want to do. The Mikulski amendment is timely, targeted, and temporary, and it is focused on saving jobs and creating jobs in the automobile industry. What does my amendment do? It does this. If you buy a passenger car, minivan or light truck within this year, you will get a tax deduction for your sales or excise tax and the interest on your car loan. It means a family could save approximately $1,500 on a $25,000 car purchase. Now, what does this amendment mean and what does it do? This amendment is actually about creating jobs. Our automobile industry is languishing--from the people who make them, to the dealers who sell them, to the people who service them, to the back office people, and to the people who also provide the supplies. My amendment is also cost-effective in terms of the Treasury. Not a nickel will be spent unless you go buy a car or a minivan or a light truck. So we are not throwing money out of a helicopter, and we are not putting money out there and hoping people will spend. We are giving money to banks hoping they will lend. Under the Mikulski amendment, it only happens if you walk into a dealership, buy an automobile, and then once you complete that purchase, take that deduction for the sales tax along with the interest. Why is this good? First of all, for the consumer, it means they get a deal. It is a market incentive and gets them into the showroom to buy what they want. Second, it helps the environment because all new cars-- and this is going only to new cars--get greater fuel efficiency and have lower carbon emissions. It is also the only amendment that affects business up and down the chain in our own country. My amendment is not limited to only American cars but it is focused on cars made in the United States. So whether it is a Ford, a Chevy, a Chrysler, a Nissan or a Toyota, it qualifies for the Mikulski amendment. No. 1, it helps manufacturing. If you buy a car, it means they have to be built. We are facing a crisis in the automobile industry. We can give all the bailouts we want, but unless people buy cars, the bailout will just become part of the bucket list. My amendment helps manufacturing, which means it also helps the dealerships. There are 20,000 new car dealerships in the United States, and they employ about a million people. I have met them in my own State. In many of the rural parts of my State, they are the major employer. They are also the major contributors to the United Way, to the rotary clubs, and to the athletic leagues. These are human beings who sell cars. They are the auto mechanics, with grease under their fingernails but patriotism in their hearts; they are the taxpayers who pay for the bailout of the banks, but they don't want a bailout, they want people to come in to buy their cars. My amendment also will help the consumer to have one more incentive to be able to buy these cars. One of the auto mechanics said to me he had worked at a Chevy dealership for over 23 years. He said: Senator Barb, I have worked all my life, and I love to work on cars. I just love it. I love to fix them and I love to repair them, and I think I have done a good job at it. I am happy to think I have helped a lot of other people to be in safe, reliable vehicles, and all I want is to have a real job and a real income so that I can send my two kids to college. I could elaborate on my amendment, but I know others also wish to speak on it, and I will reserve the right to come back and to further debate it. But if you want to help create jobs, save jobs, keep the automobile industry going, and get our economy back on its wheels, vote for the Mikulski automobile tax deduction amendment. Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Ms. MIKULSKI. I rise not for purposes of debate but to add a cosponsor to my amendment. I ask unanimous consent that Senator Webb, the Senator from Virginia, be listed as a cosponsor.

Ms. MIKULSKI

Ms. MIKULSKI. Madam President, today I wish to support the nomination of Eric Holder to be Attorney General of the United States. This is an historic nomination--Eric Holder is the first African-American to be nominated to serve as the country's chief law enforcement officer. This is a much needed nomination. The Department of Justice, DOJ, is on life support, plagued with politics and partisanship. Under the previous administration the Department of Justice authored torture memos, fired U.S. Attorneys for their political beliefs, funded pet projects, and spent taxpayer dollars on lavish conferences. This country needs an Attorney General who will restore confidence and integrity to the Justice Department. We need an independent thinker who is not influenced by politics or fear and who is dedicated to rule of law--not rule of ideology. We need a leader to hold the Department accountable--one who will provide fiscal accountability and stewardship of taxpayer dollars and stand sentry against waste, fraud, and abuse. No more $5 Swedish meatballs. I have three criteria for nominees to the executive branch: first, the nominee must possess competence; second, the nominee must have a commitment to the mission of the agency; and finally, the nominee must have the highest integrity. Eric Holder passes all of these tests with flying colors. First, his competence cannot be questioned. He was the No. 2 at the Department of Justice under the Clinton administration; he was U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia; he was nominated by President Reagan and confirmed by the Senate to serve as a Superior Court judge for the District of Columbia; and he was a career prosecutor in DOJ's Public Integrity Section. Second, he has shown an unwavering commitment to the Justice Department's mission to uphold the Constitution, fight corruption, prosecute criminals, and protect victims. He has fought throughout his career to make sure our Nation's laws are applied fairly and that everyone gets a fair shake. Third, Eric Holder possesses strong integrity. He has a history of fighting to root out corruption and prosecute criminals. He is the son of immigrants and has worked hard to get to where he is. As chairwoman of the Appropriations Subcommittee that funds the Justice Department, I want to make sure that the Department has what it needs to protect this country from predatory attacks by terrorists and predatory attacks in our neighborhood. I have fought to put dollars in the Federal checkbook to support the agency's efforts to combat terrorism and violent crime. I have fought to make sure that hard- working, dedicated individuals who are responsible for carrying out that mission have the resources they need. The Justice Department needs an Attorney General who supports enforcing our country's laws, will protect the vulnerable, and will restore morale and confidence. I believe Eric Holder is just the right man for the job. For the past 8 years, the previous administration has ignored the Constitution, supported torture, denied basic access to courts for detainees, slashed funding for cops on the beat, and spied on innocent Americans. We need an Attorney General who will restore the rule of law and demand accountability for wrongdoing. We need an independent thinker--not a rubber stamp for the President. Eric Holder is a heavyweight lawyer. He has vigorously prosecuted corrupt public officials from both parties. He put a mob boss behind bars for trying to bribe a juror. He is willing to take on the strong and powerful because he believes no one is above the law. Yet the Department of Justice is not only responsible for upholding the Constitution. Part of its core mission is to protect the most vulnerable. As a social worker, I have seen firsthand the despicable crimes committed against children and know how important it is to hold these abusers accountable in order to keep our children safe. Now, new technology puts children at even greater risk. There are sophisticated cyber-predators posing as children on the Internet and are harder to catch. Eric Holder is a career prosecutor who has dedicated his life to protecting the public and getting criminals off the street. As the U.S. Attorney for D.C., Holder created the Domestic Violence Unit, which was a dedicated, one-stop shop for domestic violence survivors; he also spearheaded initiatives to protect children from abuse, sexual predators and cyber stalkers. I am confident that as Attorney General, the country's chief of police, he will protect our children and our neighborhoods from violent and heinous crimes. Not only does the country need Holder, the Department of Justice does. A recent DOJ Inspector General report found one of the top ten management challenges at the Justice Department is to restore confidence at the Department. The mission of the Justice Department has been sidelined and politics--not evidence--has driven hiring and firing decisions. The prosecution of civil rights violations had dramatically dropped, while claims of workplace discrimination are on the rise. We need a leader to put the Department back on track and restore integrity and independent thinking. It is time to get back to doing business that is free from politics and ideology. Time to enforce our civil rights laws, prosecute financial corruption and cronyism, bolster local law enforcement to fight crime and protect the vulnerable. Eric Holder has served as the Deputy Attorney General at Justice and has experience managing and leading. He knows the challenges the Department faces. He will work with President Obama to restore the Department's reputation. In conclusion, Eric Holder has spent his legal career protecting the public from dirty public officials, violent criminals and predators, scheming corporate greed. I know as Attorney General, Eric Holder will make sure the Justice Department is working for the American people-- not some political agenda. This is why I will vote to confirm Eric Holder to be the next Attorney General of the United States.

Ms. MIKULSKI

Ms. MIKULSKI. The claimant has the burden of proof.

Ms. MIKULSKI. Under S. 181 she would be able to recover lost wages for the previous 2 years from her January 15, 2009, paycheck. This is because every paycheck is considered an act of discrimination and a claimant has 180 days to file a claim for that act of discrimination, and go back 2 years in determining damages.

Ms. MIKULSKI. Under current law, as interpreted by the Supreme Court, she is not able to recover any lost pay because a claimant has 180 days to file a claim from the time that the employer first decided to discriminate, i.e. she had to file by July 1, 2007.

Ms. MIKULSKI

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, January 22, 2009 at 10 a.m.

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions be authorized to meet, during the session of the Senate, to conduct a hearing entitled ``What States are Doing to Keep us Healthy'' on Thursday, January 22, 2009. The hearing will commence at 10 a.m. in room 430 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

Ms. MIKULSKI

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Senator Kaufman of Delaware be added as a cosponsor of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.

Ms. MIKULSKI

Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, today is a great day in the Senate. We have now overwhelmingly passed a bipartisan bill to correct an injustice that has been prevailing among people--women, minorities, and people with disabilities--in the area of wage discrimination. What is so great about today is not only our overwhelming legislative victory, but we showed, No. 1, that we can change the tone. I thank Leader Reid for the leadership he provided in creating the legislative framework where we can move ahead with open debate. Notice that we did this bill in a well-measured, well-modulated, well-paced way. There was no need for cloture motions. There was no need for parliamentary quagmires. What it showed, though, is there is a need for civility and cooperation. We, as Americans, have to know, given this economic situation, that we are all in it together. When we work together, we now know each and every one of us makes a difference. But when we truly work together, we can make change. Today we changed the law, we changed direction, we change history, and I thank all my colleagues and all the staff who have made this possible. I also wish to say a special thanks to Senator Ted Kennedy. I hope he is watching tonight because, Ted, we miss you. We know you are not on the floor; you are with us in spirit. There is more to be done. We cannot wait for you to be back. Let's go and get the job done. America is counting on us to do the kinds of things we have done today and act the way we did, the way we got the business done. vote explanation